Falcons vs Tampa Bay

This week the Falcons have the Bucs on the road in Tampa. Atlanta has an 8 game winning streak against the Bucs, and will look to get an early leg up on the division race. Matt Ryan is expected to start after injuring his knee and missing 2 practices this week. The big key for Atlanta will be to protect Matty Ice better against a tough divisional foe. If given time, Matt Ryan can tear apart the Bucs secondary. Veteran Center Todd McClure also returns from early season knee surgery to help heal a beaten Falcons O-line. Look for a heavy doseage of Michael Turner, and then play action passes to open up the game.

On defense the Birds will have to hold down Josh Freeman if they get ahead, as the young QB has an affinity for comeback wins. I think the Falcons should bring heavy pressure packages and rush Freeman into mistakes. If they get him on the run early, maybe they can end this game early. I see a somewhat lopsided game, with the Birds winning 31-10. 1st place for Atlanta!